Drinks Your Father Drank

5 Drinks Your Father Drank

Let’s assume your father is American and is currently between the ages of 55 and 65, which means that he was of legal drinking age somewhere between 1962 and 1972 — the cocktail party era. Now, your dad probably got his fill of Coca-Cola, Tang and Kool-Aid, but once it was time to hit the bars, his real drinking culture began. What we’re presenting here are some of the trends from that era and the drinks your father drank when he was a yuppie in training.

Today’s drinkers follow suit with a generation overrun by watered-down drinks and fruity concoctions, which mask the very liquor men have earned the right to consume. So, try some of these drinks your father drank and reconnect with his generation of real bar flies.

Harvey Wallbanger

Recipe: 3 parts vodka, 1 part Galliano and 6 parts orange juice.

Invented by a series of bartenders in California during the 1950s, the Harvey Wallbanger is apparently named after a surfer in Manhattan Beach. The cocktail was little-known outside of California until the 1970s, when TWA served it in-flight and inspired national popularity.

In case you were curious about where the “wall banging” comes from, drinks featuring Galliano often feature the word “wall,” since the bottle’s tall stature requires steady storage. Next time you overhear a woman ordering a drink “up against the wall,” don’t get too excited.

Scotch on the Rocks

Recipe: Rocks and scotch.

Along with brandy, scotch-based cocktails surged during the '60s and early '70s. As the UK invaded our radio waves, so did their drinking habits. With the South brewing whisky and bourbon of our own, Americans looked across the pond to find a chicer version of the amber liquor. Scotch, in many ways, became a status symbol for parties, business deals and man-to-man talks. No wonder it was one of the drinks your father drank.

Tom Collins

In the late 19th century, pranksters in the Northeastern United States would ask strangers: “Have you seen Tom Collins?” to begin a conversation. When the victim expressed confusion as to this man’s identity, jokesters would encourage others to find him at the local bar. Tom Collins, of course was not a man, but rather a man’s drink and, therefore, one of our drinks your father drank.

By the 1960s, the Tom Collins reintroduced itself from the late 19th century version to include more lemon juice and carbonated water, ingredients that became increasingly popular for cocktails during that time.